James Hutton Group to focus on impact of renewable energy at All-Energy 2016

"Multi-disciplinary experts from across the James Hutton Group will be on hand to discuss their service offering, particularly those related to the impacts of renewable energy on agriculture, the environment, communities and processing industries

Renewable energy and sustainability will be in focus next week at All-Energy 2016 - the UK’s premier event for alternative energy sources and associated technologies – and multi-disciplinary experts from across the James Hutton Group will be on hand to discuss their service offering, particularly those related to the impacts of renewable energy on agriculture, the environment, communities and processing industries.

The first day of the event (Wednesday 4^th, 16.00 – 17.30) will see Dr Jelte Harnmeijer, T. B. Macaulay Renewables Research Fellow at the James Hutton Institute, participate in a session on geothermal energy chaired by David Townsend (TownRock Energy). Dr Harnmeijer’s contribution will highlight the Fortissat Minewater Geothermal Power project, an initiative that seeks to assess the feasibility of an ‘Icelandic-style’ geothermal district heating system in North Lanarkshire.

Speaking in advance of the session, Dr Harnmeijer said: “Scotland has an outstanding and virtually unexploited mine water geothermal resource base. Within the wider UK or European context, Scotland has a relatively low gas-grid penetration rate but a high rate of fuel poverty, particularly in rural areas.

“In view of this, we believe the case for a project in Fortissat merits serious consideration. We are pleased to be working with North Lanarkshire Council in taking this forward.”

Other examples of the James Hutton Group work on renewable energy will be discussed at All-Energy 2016, such as an assessment of the comparative costs of community and commercial renewable energy projects in Scotland (undertaken on behalf of the Scottish Government’s Centre of Expertise on Climate Change), and a report that measures the local economic impact of community-owned energy projects (commissioned by Community Energy).

All-Energy’s conference and seminar programme feature over 450 speakers who between them will deliver 120 hours of insight into renewable energy technologies and sustainability. There will be exhibitors from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Indonesia, Italy, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, USA and the UK.

You can visit the James Hutton Group at stand A48.